Jade's support co-ordination team backed her incredible commitment to the Starlight Super Swim Challenge.
This February, Jade was at her local swimming pool more often than usual, sometimes up to four times a week, because she was giving it her all to raise funds for sick children by taking part in the Starlight Super Swim Challenge.
When Jade’s support worker told her about the Starlight Super Swim Challenge, she immediately wanted to take part. Jade enjoys physical activity, whether it is walking on the beach, swimming, or bowling. She also cares about being a part of her community. The Super Swim Challenge was a great opportunity for her to be out in her local community, building connections with people and making new friends.
Image: Jade is in the swimming pool with a woman with blonde hair.
Jade's first step was to form her swimming group, Jade’s Garden. Jade invited all her support workers to be members of the team.
Behind the scenes, Life Without Barriers Support Coordination Manager Aleisha Larsen worked with Jade’s parents and her disability support team to enable Jade to have the right supports in place to participate in the Super Swim Challenge.
When she was not swimming, Jade fundraised by sharing the link to Jade’s Garden with her support network and in the community.
Jade, her parents and the Life Without Barriers’ Support Coordination team have been working together since 2015 to ensure that Jade has all she needs to live her life to the fullest. Taking part in the Super Swim Challenge has helped build Jade’s swimming skills and stay healthy, but most of all, it gave Jade a sense of purpose to help raise money for others in need.
“Being a part of the Super Swim Challenge gave Jade a remarkable platform to cultivate a healthy exercise routine."
"It not only contributed to her physical well-being but also allowed her to make a meaningful impact on the community she holds dear,” said Aleisha.
Aleisha ensured that Jade had the right funding for the support she required during her swimming practice, for when she was out fundraising, entry into the pool for training, transport, and anything else that popped up so Jade take part in the Super Swim Challenge.
Jade likes interacting with people one-on-one, but finds big groups hard. By taking part in the Super Swim Challenge, Jade opened up to interacting with different people in the community at the same time. Even though it was challenging, Jade found the experience rewarding.
Taking part in Super Swim helped Jade build her numeracy skills, too, as she had to count her laps. At each swimming session, she documented how many laps she swam. The team ended up swimming a combined distance of 25km!
Aleisha thanked everyone who donated to Jade’s cause.
“It encouraged Jade, and it let her know that she has a support network around her and she is part of a community of people who care!”
As of March, Jade had raised $2,906 for sick children, 387% of the $750 goal they set!
What is support coordination?
Through the NDIS, you can choose your supports and which providers you work with. While it’s a good thing, it can be challenging – that’s where support coordination comes in.
A support coordinator can help you activate your NDIS plan and access your supports. They’ll connect you with people and services in your community and help you understand your options.
Connect with a support coordinator near you here.
A person's story is precious and we take storytelling seriously. Sometimes, people can tell their own stories, and we love that. Jade is non-verbal, which is why there are no direct quotes from her in this story.
We will always honour the trust placed in us to bring a person's story forward.
